Argentina won in extra time and ended up justifying its superiority in the chances created

Argentina came away with a 3-1 win over Suiza in the quarterfinals of the Mundial, in a match that was decided in extra time and ended up showing a clear gap in what each side generated. The standout figure is in the attacking production: Argentina created chances worth 2.0 goals, while Suiza managed just 0.5.

Tactical reading

The numbers make the flow of the game pretty clear. Argentina had more of the ball, with 59% possession to 41% for Suiza, and was also the team that looked most often for goal: 22 shots, 7 on target, compared with 11 shots and 5 on target for the opposition. That superiority in possession and shot volume lines up with the chances created: the gap between 2.0 and 0.5 points to a match in which the Argentine side produced more and better.

The formation also helps explain each side’s plan: Argentina lined up in a 4-1-3-2 and Suiza in a 4-2-3-1. In practice, the hard data backs up that the Argentine team managed to establish itself closer to the opponent’s box and sustain a higher level of production throughout the match, even if the contest stayed open until the end.

The result, however, had a major turning point in the second half of regulation time with the sending-off of Breel Embolo in the 72'. From that moment on, the match was shaped by Suiza being a man down, in a game that had already been tilted in Argentina’s favor in possession, shots and chances created.

The standout performers

The individual ratings also support the overall reading of the match. The highest was Lionel Messi, with 8.9, and behind him were two players who also had a direct impact on the scoreline:

• Alexis Mac Allister: 7.7, scorer of the goal in the 10'.
• Julián Álvarez: 7.7, scorer of the goal in the 112'.

In Messi’s case, the 8.9 rating places him as the standout player of the match according to the recorded evaluation. In a game where Argentina produced at a high level, that number leaves him ahead of the rest in individual terms.

Mac Allister’s contribution was immediate: he opened the scoring in the 10' and gave Argentina an early lead that shaped the game. Later, Julián Álvarez struck in extra time to stretch the advantage in the 112', a key moment in breaking open a tie that was still tight on the scoreboard. Right at the end, Lautaro Martínez made it 3-1 in the 120+1'.

The other goal in the match came from Dan Ndoye for Suiza in the 67', at a stage when the game was still open and before Embolo’s red card. That temporary equalizer was the Swiss side’s last real blow before the match swung definitively.

Turning point

Breel Embolo’s sending-off in the 72' was the clearest turning point of the match. From there, Suiza was forced to fight just to keep the intensity up, and Argentina eventually found the difference in extra time through the goals of Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez.

In short, the final 3-1 reflects very well what the numbers showed: more possession, more shots, more chances created and better ratings for Argentina, in a matchup that was only settled in extra time.